Insulated outlet receptacle and junction box and units



July 4, 1944.

W. M. PARKER INSULATED OUTLET RECEPTACLE AND JUNCTION BOX AND UNITSFiled March 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M/lzam Marni/R111 ATTORNEYJuly 4; 1944. w; PARKER 2,352,913

INSULATED OUTLET RECEPTACLE AND JUNCTION BOX AND UNITS Filed March '7,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ;///7//// Hllll I INVEI \ITOR [iii/mmliar/11172219? ATTOR NEY Passes July 4, i94

2,852,913 INSULATED OUTLET JUNCTION B0 RECEPTACLR AND I AND UNITSWilliam Merrill Parker, l'arkersbllrg, W. Va. Application March 7, 1988,Serialjlo. 104,327

(Cl. I'll-52) 2 Claims.

in invention relates to improvements in a combination outlet receptacleand junction box and units which is completely insulated. The obiects ofmy invention are first, to provide a completely insulated outlet,receptacle and Junction box and units as an aid to accomplishing acompletely insulated cable system; second, to eliminate'the necessity ofa separate outlet and Junetion box and separate units; third, to lessencosts. and fourth, to provide a box which will resist corrosion frommoisture or corrosive fumes. Also a box which may be ventilated orsealed so that it is air tight, as the occasion requires. With suchcombination box and units, short circuits and fire hazards are entirelyeliminated, costs reduced and corrosion elimina One form of my inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings in' which Figure l is a planview. Figure 2 is a cross section through Figure 1 on line 1-2; Figure 3is an inverted plan view; Figure 4 is an end elevation; Figure 5 is across section of device when used as a receptacle for an electric plug;Figure 6 is a plan view oi Figure 5; Figure 'l is an inverted view of 5with cover plate removed and with one contact omitted.

Reading on Figures 1, 2, 5, 8, and 'l of my device, it consists of a capll, sidewalls ll, portion It, knockout section II, fastening holes N,lead in holes ll, bridge member I I, contact section l1; clamping memberll, clamping screws 20, shirt for clamping member 2|.

Reading on Figures 5, 6, and 7, we have two posts 3!, connecting bridgell, groove 81, contact plate 38, contact ll, fastening screws ll,terminal posts ll, plug 42, cover plate I, slots for prongs M, fasteningscrews ll.

Acableisplacedintheboxanditisheldin place by the clamping member llthrough which the cable passes. As the clamping screws II are tightenedbridse ll tightens and firmly grips the cable.

The bridge member it is a permanent part of theboxannotanassembledfittinmascanbe seeninFigure3. Theboxmaybeusedforone ormore cables which may be connected to form are permanently nxed in theadd box.

My device may be made principally out of a non-conductive andnon-ceramic moulding compound such as, for example, Bakelite, or anyother such non-conductive moulding compound. My object in using anon-conductive moulding comconvex. or other form the box and unit is tohave, as already stated, a nonconductive box and unit, and thus e te theuse of the old metal box which not only corrodcs from moisture andcorrosive fumes, but which, in many cases, may act and thus may causeshort circuits fires. Furthermore. I provide a box which may beventilated or sealed asthe occasion may req Another object of my deviceis to cut costs by eliminating the separate unit and constructing thebox and unit, as one, as already stated. While my box may be used solelyas a Junction box, it is also available for use as an-outletbox in whicha bulb may be installed without any furpound in making or morereceptacles. It may, completely as an outlet box, if desired.

The only part of my device which might be advisable to make of iron andsteel are the clamping members It and skirt II also the clamping screwsII and mounting screw 25 whichin no way aii'ects the objects of this myinvention. However, other materials and means may be used to enfect saidpurpose within the scope oi the claims. Instead oi using metal forclamping members ll, and for skirt i'or clamping members ii, any rigidmaterial may be used. Instead of using clamping screws 20, 20, andmounting screws 2|, other methods of fastening may be used within thescope oi the claims. Instead oi using a concave section, as shown at II,a may be used within the scope of the claims.

My device may have other uses other than those shown in Figures 3 and 5,which show its application as a Junction box, lamp socket or as areceptacle.

In the form of the invention shown the bridge members are provided witha clamp engaging shoulder on each side of the depressed cable engagingsurface. The clamp engaging surfaces oi struck is shown in the drawingsgeometrically to be an ellipse or ellipsoidal. This arc 11 connectsthrough said aperture,

substantially right angles to the interior surface of the box side wallll. Cooperating to produce this relationship of angularity thecable-receiving knock-out apertures II are produced in the side wallwith axes which intersect the axial line of the box at approximatelyright angles. The bridge members I! are in the back wall sides of theapertures it with the depressed cable rests il adiacent the apertures IIin a relation to receive the cables enterins through the apertures II.

The inner side walls and end walls of the bridge members I. havepreferably straight surfaces which are substantially parallel to theaxis of box.

It will be appreciated that the precise angularity illustrated andherein defined of 90' constitutes a preferred form but that anyvariations thereof are within the purview of the invention which do notinvolve the formation of undercut pockets. The construction is such asto be free of undercut pockets referred to the open end of thebox.

The drawings show that the box has no undercut portions in the interiorthereof, the advantages of which are well known in the molding While Ihave illustrated my invention in one of specific materials, I do myselfto that particular deas it is apparent that other designs, methods, andmaterials may be employed for obtaining the same results within thescope of my claims without departing from the scope or spirit of myinvention.

I claim:

1. An electrical outlet box comprising a bodyenclosing side wall open atits front and havin a weakened portion forming a knock-outcablereceiving aperture therein with its axis intersecting the open endaxis of the box at substantially a right angle, a back wall for closingthe rear end of the box also having a weakened opening forming aknockout cable receiving aperture therein, a bridge member having adepressed cable encasing surface adjacent said first mentioned knockoutaperture for receiving the cable entering said side and back walls andsaid bridge member all formed in one piece of non-conductive andnon-ceramic molding material with said bridge member integral both withthe back and side walls and existing as a reinforced mass at the corneror angle between said side and back walls, said bridge member havingclamp-receiving shoulders at opposite ends of the depressed cableensagina surface, the

also at substantially right angles surfaces of said shoulders being in aplane substantially normal to the axis of the open end of the box, saidsurfaces and depressed cable engaging surface all facing the open end ofsaid box, the surfaces of said shoulders and cable engaging surfacebeing also at substantially right angles to the inner surface of theside wall of the box, the inner side wall and end walls of said bridgemember being substantially straight line surfaces substantially parallelwith the axis of the open end of the box, said cable engaging surfacestruck on an arc not exceeding said arcuate cable engaging surface, saidshoulders and all other interior surfaces of said box being free ofundercut pockets with reference to the open end of the box, a clampmember having portions complemental to said shoulders and arcuate cableengaging surface, and fastenings on the shoulders for securing saidclamp member to the shouldered portions of said bridge member.

2. An electrical outlet box comprising a bodyenclosing side wall open atits front end and having weakened portions forming knock-outcablereceiving apertures therein with their axes intersecting the openend axis of the box at substantially right angles. a back wall forclosing the rear end of the box, a bridge member for each of saidapertures having a depressed cable engaging surface adjacent saidknock-out apertures for receiving the cables entering through saidapertures, said side and back walls and said bridge member all formed inone piece of non-conductive and nonsaid bridge member integral both withthe back at the corner or angle walls, said bridge member ing shouldersat opposite ends of the cable engaging surface, the surfaces of saidshoulders being in a plane substantially normal to the axis ofthe openend of the box, said surfaces and depressed cable engaging surface allfacing the open end of said box, the surfaces of said shoulders andcable engaging surface being to the inner surface of the side wall ofthe box, the inner side wall and end walls of said bridge member beingsubstantially straight line surfaces substantially parallel with theaxis of the open end of the box, a clamp member having portionscomplementai to said shoulders and cable engaging surface, andfastenings on the shoulders for securing said clamp member to theshouldered portions of said bridge member.

having clamp-receiv- MORRIIL PARKER.

ramic molding material with

